The ruins lie within the Franconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest Nature Park on the 590-metre-high hill of Leienfelser Schlossberg immediately next to the village of Leienfels, about 4.6 kilometres northwest of the church at Betzenstein.

Lord Götz of Egloffstein had to give his part of the hitherto probably allodial castle to the Bishop of Bamberg after a feud.

1In 502 Jobst I of Egloffstein sold the castle to the Bishop of Bamberg and it became the seat of a small episcopal Amt.

Today, the ruins have been designated by the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection as listed site D-4-72-179-83 "Leienfels, formerly an almost triangular site, remains of the enceinte and the main building with corner tower, the core 14th century; wall of the former outer bailey, 14th century.

", as well as ground monument D-4-6234-0068 "finds from the Middle Ages and early modern period in the area of the castle ruins of Leienfels"[2]